Previews

Starcraft: Ghost

There's nothing transparent about this Blizzard action/adventure title. Ghost looks like it will kick ass with extreme prejudice.

Spiffy:

Both stealth and action are well done; multiple paths to objectives; simple control.

Iffy:

Will it live up to its billing?

StarCraft: Ghost has been in the works longer than most games on the E3 show floor, but since it's a Blizzard game, we're cutting it all the slack it wants. Losing Chris Millar, of the famous Millar brothers, on the team could've been destrimental, but it hasn't seemed to slow things down a bit. The game is already looking pretty polished, especially when you consider the current release date has it hitting stores in September.

Girl's Got Game

As the first console action game by Blizzard since Blackthorne, it's surprising how ambitious this project is. It looks to have a mix of stealth and gunplay components to rival Metal Gear Solid -- and main character Nova has a much nicer rear end. For all the moves you'll be able to pull off, the control is highly intuitive.

The key word for Ghost's control is "auto." Walk near a ladder, and Nova automatically grabs onto it. Jump up to a ledge, and she'll snag it effortlessly. This avoids the superfluous multiple button-pressing that plagues games like Tomb Raider. The game knows what you want to do, and won't make you jump through hoops to do it.

She Sneaks

As a Ghost, Nova has some unique stealth capabilities. She can turn invisible for a period of time, allowing her to roam without threat of detection. Once this function's meter wears down, she can focus on replenishing it. In her invisible form, Nova executes some sweet stealth kills that evoke memories of the Tenchu series.

Another cool ability at Nova's disposal is her ocular enhancements. When in this view, it's easier to spot enemies in darkened situations. It will even show their field of vision, though your best move is to combine this view with sniping to plug them full of lead before you get close to them.

StarCraft: Ghost features a slick HUD radar lets you keep tabs on enemy locations and awareness. It's a simple, round radar, with bad guys showing up as white marks. If they're aware of your presence, their mark turns yellow. If they're out for your blood, the indicator turns red. Alarms set will obstruct the radar for a while, just like Metal Gear Solid.

She Shoots

Even with the stealth aspect, Nova does her share of gun-slinging. Each weapon has its own unique characteristics. The sniper rifle can zoom in up to 16x, while the pistol can be charged for a more explosive round. The targeting reticule has a neat addition of showing the life bar of your targets, so you know how long before they're extinct.

Shooting up the place naturally results in plenty of dead bodies lying around. Nova can search them for valuables, or drag them out of view. They can even be disposed of for one less thing to worry about. The last thing you want is a soldier finding the end product of your handiwork and calling in the cavalry.

When a weapon is equipped, Nova gets into a ready position, where her movement is slower and more deliberate. In this position, you can spin around to avoid enemy fire. Thus, add Capcom's P.N. 03 to the list of games StarCraft: Ghost draws inspiration from.

She's Hot

The game looks great on all three platforms. Even though it began development a year and a half ago, its visuals are on par with the best on all consoles. Nova's suit is full of Tron-like light nodes, which are in sharp contrast to the dark environments you'll traverse. The enemies looks swell as well. It's a treat for StarCraft veterans to see bad guys in living, breathing 3D.

StarCraft: Ghost's camera has obviously received a great deal of attention, as it rarely gets in the way -- even when trudging through an air shaft. Like most games of the genre, the right analog can be used to manually position the camera. Chances are there will be even more polish added to the graphics before the game releases.

The hype behind this game is definitely justified. Even though Nova is the new gal on the block, she could set a new standard for action/adventure titles, and leave big boys like Solid Snake and Sam Fischer eating her dust.